Machine foe



March 8,1932. 7 P, J C'OSUGAN 1,848,697

MACHINE FOR BREAKING IN SHOES Filed July 21, 1930 3 a u E a n \CL"\ 17 4a 194 if, c 2

INVEB JTOR Patented Mar. 8, 1932 PATENT OFFICE PETER J. COS'IIGAN, F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT MACHINE FOR- BREAKING IN SHOES Application filed July 21, 1930. Serial No. 469,523.

This invention relates to machines for breaking-in and removing the initial stiffne'ss from shoes, and more particularly to a machine which will subject a pair of shoes in a few minutes to the same flexing movements which they would receive in several days if worn by the user.

One object of this invention is to provide a machine of the above nature which will render the shoes sufiiciently pliant so that they may be worn without the usual inconvenience and discomfort and possible injury to the feet generally occurring when new shoes are worn.

A further object is to provide a machine of the above nature which will visually indicate at each stroke the exact amount of stiffness remaining in the shoe.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature having means for creasing the vamps of the shoes.

A further object is to provide a machine of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and operate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and I durable in use.

vWith these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a top view of a machine for simultaneously breaking-in both shoes of a pair.

Fig. 2 is a front sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional View on an enlarged scale of the same, taken along theline 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a casing having a top 46 wall 11, side walls 12, and a bottom wall 13.

The front portions of the soles 14: of each of the shoes 15 and 16 are adapted to be held bytwo pairs of adjustable screw clamps 17 located at the sides of the toe cap 17a. The

549 heel 18 of each shoe is adapted to be supporti the shoe above the heel 18. The screw 22 is provided with a handle 24 for permitting the base 23 to be tightly clamped in position irrespective of the height of the heel 18.

The lower arm 19a of the clamp is provided with a depending lug 24a pivotally connected, as by a horizontal pin 25 to a vertical shaft member 26, the lower end of which is slidably fitted within a connecting rod 27 having an aperture on its lower end to fit upon a crank pin 28 carried by a pair of continuously rotating cranks 29 keyed or otherwise secured to a crank shaft 30 adapted to be driven by an electric motor 31 or other suitable source of power. The lower end of the shaft 26 is adapted to be pressed upwardly at all times by a coiled spring 32 located within a cylindrical socket 33 formed in the connecting rod 27. 7

The up and down movement of the heel of the shoe is limitedby means of a pair of set screws 34: and 35 passing inwardly through the upper side walls of the socket 33 and located within a pair of oppositely arranged slots 36 and 37 in said shaft 26.

Operation By means of this construction it will be seen that continuous rotation of the crank shaft 30 will cause the connecting rods 27 of the respective breaking-in devices to raise and lower the rear portions of the shoes 14: and 15, thereby flexing the soles 16 and close- 1y imitating the motion of the feet while @421 walking.

It will be understood that the shoes may be adjusted toward the front or the rear of the heel rests, 19 to cause the shafts 26 to rise a distance corresponding to thestride taken by the wearer of the shoes. When so adjusted, each revolution of the crank shaft 30 will be equivalent to two steps. Under ordinary conditions, when operating a machine embodying the present invention, a new pair of shoes can be put through 15,000 reciprocations within a few minutes, the time, of course, being dependent upon the speed of the motor 31, which is about equivalent to three days wear of the user, generally required for breakingin a pair of new shoes. The wearer will thus be relieved of the inconvenience, discomfort, and unpleasantness of breaking in the shoes on his own feet and will avoid all chance of injury thereto.

It will be understood, that if desired, the force required for flexing the shoes may be applied from above the clamp 20 instead of beneath it as herein disclosed.

Shoe creasing mechanism In order to prevent the forepart of the shoe from wrinkling during the breaking-in thereof, and causing the shoe to crease uniformly in a pair of parallel straight lines, provision is made of a curved resilient metal bar 38 placed across the vamp of the shoe behind the cap 17a. The creasing bar 38 is hinged at one end to a plate 39 secured to the top wall 11 of the casing. I The free extremity 40 of the creasing bar is adapted to be slidably and adjustably held within a slotted angle bracket 41 secured to the top wall of the casing 10 outside of the shoe.

'sa ness indicator In order to indicate to the operator the amount of stiflness which still remains in the shoe, provision is made of a bell crank lever 42 pivoted at 43 on a bracket 44 secured to the casing 10. The bell crank lever 42 has a pointed arm 45 extending within a slot 46 in the socket 33 and engaging a seat 47 in the lower end of the shaft 26. The lower arm 48 of the bell crank .lever 42 is connected by a hollow rod 49 to a rod 50 having its other end secured to a similar hollow rod 51 connected at 52 to a lever 53 pivoted at 54 and carrying a pointer 55 at its upper end, said pointer 55 being adapted to travel over a scale 56 graduated from 0 to max, as shown in Fig. 3. Provision is also made of a spring 57 for normally urging the lever 53 to remain in the zero position.

As the stifiness of the sole 15 is overcome,

' the pointer 55 will move further and further on each successive stroke from the zero point, thus indicating to the operator when the desired amount of flexibility has been obtained.

A dash pot 58 may also be connected to the bottom part of the lever 52 for damping the vibrations of the pointer 55.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit.

te race? In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine for breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front of a shoe, and means for intermittently raising the rear of said shoe to flex the sole and vamp thereof.

2. In a machine for quickly breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the from part of the sole of a shoe, and a vertical reciprocating plunger for intermittently raising the heel of. said shoe to flex the sole and vamp.

3. In a machine for quickly breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front part of the sole of a shoe, and a vertical reciprocating yieldable plunger for intermittently raising the heel of said shoe to flex the sole and vamp.

4. In a machine for quickly breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front part of the sole of a shoe, a vertical reciprocating plunger for intermittently raising the heel of said shoe to flex the sole and vamp, said plunger comprising two telescoping sections, and a spring located between said sections to cause said plunger to resiliently press upon said heel.

5. In a machine for breakin -in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the out of a shoe, means for intermittently raising the rear of said shoe to flex the sole and vamp thereof, and means to visually indicate the stiflness of said shoe at each flexing operation.

6. In a machine for breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front part of a shoe, a clamp for the heel of said shoe, a yielding plunger connected to said clam a motor-driven crank sha having a crank, and a connecting rod joining said crank with said plunger to reciprocate it and intermittently flex the sole and vamp of said shoe.

7. In a machine for breaking-in new shoes. means for rigidly holding the front part of a shoe, a clamp for the heel of said shoe, a yielding plunger connected to said clamp, a motor-driven crank shaft having a crank, and

a connecting rod joining said crank with said plunger to reciprocate it and intermittently flex the sole and vamp of said shoe, said connecting rod having a hollow socket at its upper end to receive the lower end of said plunger.

8. In a machine for breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front part of a shoe, a clamp for the heel of said shoe, a yielding plunger connected to said clamp, a motor-driven crank shaft having a crank, 21. connecting rod joining said crank with said plunger to reciprocate it and intermittently flex the sole and vamp of said shoe, said connecting rod having a hollow socket at its upper end to receive the lower end of said plunger, said plunger having a pair of alined re-, cesses in its lower end, and said socket having 5 a pair of lugs extending into said recesses to lock said plunger to said connecting rod and provide a slidable joint therebetween.

9. In a machine for breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front of a shoe, means for intermittently raising the rear of said shoe to flex the sole and vamp thereof, and a curved bar resting upon the top of the vamp for creasing same.

10. In a machine for breaking-in new shoes, means for rigidly holding the front of a shoe, means for intermittently raising the rear of said shoe to flex the sole and vamp thereof, and a yieldable curved bar resting upon the top of the vamp for creasing same. 11. In an apparatus for reducing stifi'ness from shoes, supporting elements for the sole and heel of a shoe, and means to actuate one of said elements to transmit an oscillatory motion to the heel of the shoe relative to said sole,

In testimon whereof, I have afixed my signature to t is specification.

PETER J. COSTIGAN. 

